A resident of Berlin took the Federal Republic of Germany to court because he feels that the cannabis ban restricts his rights to freedom. The ban allegedly violates fundamental rights and is therefore unconstitutional. On the grounds of challenging the jurisdiction of the administrative court, the competent authority rejected the claim.

On December 17th, 2018, Canada made international headlines when cannabis became legal nationwide. While this event has sparked great enthusiasm among recreational cannabis users, patients are concerned and question whether the government will maintain its medicinal cannabis program.

Colorado continues to advance its cannabis market by updating its industry rules to include a new audit and approval process for infused products, International Standards Organization (ISO) accreditation, testing for heavy metals, and recycling of non-consumable products. Colorado’s new cannabis rules come into effect on Jan 1 2019.

In the Netherlands, medicinal cannabis is treated with radiation to kill germs. This method of sterilisation is controversial. Does it have an effect on the product, or even on the patients? Is there a better way that does not involve radiation?

With reports of cannabidiol (CBD) products being pulled from shop shelves in Valencia by police, and CBD exhibitors at Spannabis Barcelona 2019 being limited to companies selling creams, is Spain’s CBD market in chaos? Or do these changes signal the arrival of much-needed regulation?

The question of whether you could lose your flat by growing cannabis within your own four walls concerns many amateur gardeners who have a few illegal sub-tenants stashed away in a well-disguised cupboard.

Cannabis stocks, known as pot stocks, are hot news on Wall Street right now. With massive spikes in share prices over the last twelve months, along with eye-watering profit projections it’s safe to say cannabis is buzzing. But who are the pot-stocks? Which are the best performers? And is now the right time to invest?

As was announced recently, medicinal use of cannabis is likely to be made legal at federal level in the US in 2019. At almost the same moment, the government has set up an anti-cannabis committee. How can you reconcile these?

The WHO will finally release the results of the report announced just over a year ago, the first official evaluation of the medicinal value of cannabis in more than 80 years. The UN has received the conclusions recommending the reclassification of CBD in the Schedule of Controlled Substances, as well as a critical review of the scientific literature on the plant.

Let’s be honest: there’s a lot of mistrust and suspicion when it comes to the corporate world, the banking world, turning its attention to cannabis. The organiser of the Cannabis Capital Convention, Michael Kraland, admits it: “here come the suits; what’s going to happen?” is the question on the lips of everyone involved. So what can we predict will happen?

Since 2007, extremely high peak values of THC content have been regularly found in Berlin. Statistically speaking, Berlin is the record holder since 2010, with an active ingredient level of 44% THC in cannabis. What is really behind this?

The Federal Council wants to make access to medicinal cannabis easier. They are also reviewing whether health insurance funds might cover the costs in future. Recreational use of cannabis could soon also become simpler. Several cities and cantons will be allowed to sell of cannabis on a trial basis. Could we be on the cusp of legalisation?

“Can Ireland afford to miss out on The Green Rush?” asks Niall Neligan, lawyer, academic, and founder of drug policy law reform group, Fweed, in a recently published booklet entitled A 21st Century Approach to Regulating Cannabis, an ambitious legal framework, which could inject €300 million into the Irish economy by 2025.

The Parliament of Luxembourg has adopted a law on the use of medicinal cannabis. After the international trade in cannabis shares threatened to be compromised as a result of the - until July - illegal status of medicinal cannabis in Luxembourg, everything went very fast.

Cannabis seeds and non-flowering cannabis plants are legal in Austria, but this is about to change. Austria’s right-wing coalition government is planning a nationwide ban. So far, nothing has been decided about when and how this is supposed to happen, but the government appears determined to go ahead.

Blockchain will be the Next Big Thing. The technology behind the Bitcoin cryptocurrency is still in its infancy, like the start of the Internet in the early 1990s, but it has huge potential. Blockchain is also opening up new horizons for the Dutch cannabis industry.

On the 25th of May 2018, when 66.4 per cent of the Irish people voted to repeal the 8th Amendment, the constitutional clause that banned abortion, it was clear that Ireland, a country previously known for its repressive social policies, had entered a new era of openness and compassion.
The question now is, will this new era pave the way for the regulation and decriminalization of medical cannabis?

The cannabis seed industry evolved in an inconsistent manner over the last few decades, and throughout its development, methods and approaches to breeding have varied widely. Many breeders work for years to stabilize strains, and keep meticulous records documenting every single generation and its characteristics, the results of each cross and backcross.

In Germany, cannabis users have so far only been decriminalised on paper. In 2017, there were more criminal investigations than ever before. Now, Germany’s Drug Commissioner is reflecting aloud about punishing quantities for personal use with a fine.